520 GENERAL REVIEW. 



while the fine - leaved form, " tenuifolius," a white - flowered 

 variety, hails from the meadows and mountains of Greece. 

 The Dutch florists raise numerous seminal varieties annually, 

 and grow the roots for the English market. Selected seed from 

 richly - coloured flowers should be sown as soon as ripe in 

 pans or boxes of light sandy earth, and placed in a light cool 

 pit or frame to germinate. Seeds sown in autumn as soon as 

 gathered, vegetate better than when kept until the spring; and 

 this is true of most other hardy flowers. 



jR. gramineus is a distinct and beautiful species from pas- 

 tures or meadows in S. France and Italy. It has glaucous 

 grass-like foliage, and rich, golden-yellow, semi-double flowers. 



ft. platanifolio-gramineus, an interesting hybrid, was raised 

 in the Botanic Garden at Brussels in 1820, its parents being 

 R. platanifolius and R. gramineus (see ' Ann. des Sciences Phy- 

 siques,' t. viii. p. 352). Natural or wild hybrids are known to 

 exist between R. biilbosus and R. acris, and also between R. 

 bulbosus and R. polyanthemus. (See ' Bot Zeit.,' Nos. 30-35, 

 1876, for observations on wild hybrid kinds of Ranunculus ; Epi- 

 lobiums, Nymphcea, Cirsium, Arctium, Hieracium, Verbascum, 

 Lamium, Rumex, Carex, Salix, Alopecurus, and Calamagrostis!) 



THE BUCKTHORN AND CEANOTHUS FAMILY (Rkamnacea). 



A small group of hardy or half-tender shrubs found scattered 

 over nearly the whole earth's surface, while in our gardens they 

 are represented by Buckthorns one species, the Red Buck- 

 thorn, Rhamnus hippophae, being a very pretty, red -berried 

 shrub ; and also by several species and numerous seminal vari- 

 eties of Ceanothus, the latter for the most part having been 

 raised in Continental gardens. Propagated by seeds sown in 

 a cold frame, or the tenderer kinds on a gentle bottom-heat. 

 Layers, root-cuttings, and grafting are also successful methods 

 of propagation. 



Ceanothus (Red-roof). Rhamnaceous shrubs nearly allied 

 to Euonymus. They are much grown in Continental gardens 

 as ornamental-flowering plants, grafted on the stems or roots 

 of C. americanus, which may be readily raised from seeds, 

 layers, or cuttings. M. Baltet recommends cleft-grafting in 

 March and April. Pieces of the root having fibres at the 

 end, the scions are simply tied on with bast and then planted 

 out in open-air beds, so as to cover the junction with soil. Root 

 or stem grafting in January and February in a propagating 

 case, or under glass in a gentle bottom-heat, is also successful. 



